June 30, 2010

Iran declares boycott on Coca Cola, Intel and 'Zionists'

Ahmadinejad signs law forbidding Iranian broadcast authority from airing advertisements for 'Zionist' companies. Black list include American companies owned by Jews and firms that do business with Israel. Nestle, IBM, others in crosshairs

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed Wednesday a new amendment to a law in the Islamic Republic that forbids the airing of advertisements for "Zionist companies." The blacklist of prohibited companies is comprised mainly of international companies, mainly American, owned by Jews or that operate branches in Israel.

Among those on the list are Coca Cola, Nestle, Intel, and IBM.

The boycott is rooted in Iran's "Palestinian support law," which acts as a response to assertions that Israel prevented goods from entering the Gaza Strip during its raid on the flotilla.

The amendment obligates a number of government ministries to establish a committee to identify and locate products from "Zionist" companies being sold in Iran. In addition, this committee will be charged with finding the names of leading figures in the blacklisted companies so that they may be boycotted as well.

This move is another link in the chain of efforts made by Iran to isolate Israel in the world in accordance with a decision passed in Iranian parliament on the matter. Iran also plans on bringing forth a resolution to boycott Israel in the UN and in other international forums, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the Arab League.

June 29, 2010

AG: IDF deserter to get military burial

Following parents' High Court petition, Weinstein rules soldier killed in road accident to be buried like any other fallen soldier

Aviad Glickman
Latest Update: 06.29.10, 11:32 / Israel News

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein decided Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces soldier Yair Sasson, who was killed five days ago in a road accident during desertion from army service, will be buried in a military cemetery.

The soldier's parents petitioned the High Court of Justice against Defense Minister Ehud Barak, who had ordered the army not to bury the soldier in a military cemetery.

The attorney general told the court in a statement that a deserter who had been absent from the army 25 days before his death was still a serviceman and therefore must be buried in a military service by law.

"Justice has been made," the soldier's father, Yaakov Sasson, said in response to Weinstein's statement.
I am sorry for the loss and the pain being felt by this family.

Disbanding Palestinian Authority a Possibility- PA Spokesmen

Ramallah, Asharq Al-Awsat- In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, Saeb Erekat,
chief Palestinian negotiator and official in charge of the negotiations
dossier in the PLO, stressed that the option of disbanding the Palestinian
Authority [PA] will be put on the table shortly if a two-solution solution
is not reached. He however did not set a time frame for dissolving the PA
but hinted at the end of this year. In a statement over telephone from New
York, where he is currently visiting, he said: "I will not go back on what I
said; Israel cannot possibly believe that it will remain the source of power
[for the PA] for good."

Erekat described the Israeli occupation as "deluxe occupation" as it does
not pay a price for occupying the Palestinian territories. He said: "The
occupation is the highest source of terrorism. It has established history's
worst apartheid in the Palestinian territories, devoting streets on which
only Israelis can drive or walk, and other streets for the Palestinians. If
the occupation believes that we will work under the umbrella of this
apartheid [last word in English], it is mistaken."

It is to be recalled that during a stormy discussion between Erekat and
Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Dan Meridor at a seminar organized by the
International Institute for Peace in New York, Erekat raised an argument on
the situation in the Middle East when he said that the option of dissolving
the PA is on the table. [qa'im]." Addressing Meridor, he said: "The PA was
established to reach a two-state solution, not to maintain Israel as the
source of power [for the PA] and a ruling force for good. If you believe
this can continue, this will not." He added: "If we fail to reach a
two-state solution, Israel cannot continue to be the source of authority to
the [Palestinian] Authority. There will be hard decisions for you [to
make]." He called on the United Nations, the Quartet committee, and the US
Administration to pressure Israel on the creation of a [Palestinian] state
by the end of this year, stressing that in return the PA will not
unilaterally proclaim its independence.

Erekat accused Israel of continuing to reject resumption of the negotiation
from the point where they left off in December 2008 when former Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was in power. He said: "Israeli Prime Minister
Binyamin Netanyahu's government has so far refused to respond to these three
important questions: Is it prepared to resume the negotiations from the
point where they left off toward the end of 2008? Does Israel recognize East
Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Palestine? Does it agree to the
1967 border as a basis for the two-state solution?" He added: "The time has
come for a decision not negotiations; the negotiations have come to an end,
and Israel has to choose between peace and settlements"

Erekat challenged Meridor to announce approval of the establishment of a
Palestinian state along the 1967 border, saying: "If you agreed, history
would be made here today." He addressed Meridor saying: "As Palestinians, we
have come a long way; we will not beg for peace from Israel." Meridor
responded by saying that if the Palestinians want peace "they should be
honest and serious about it." He expressed his government's desire to move
to direct negotiations with the Palestinians in the next few weeks instead
of the proximity negotiations which he described as odd. He added: "Both
sides should talk to one another and make the necessary hard decisions to
make progress in the peace process." He accused the Palestinian party of
being intransigent and adopting the strategy of "everything or nothing," and
of not doing enough to adopt what he described as hard options. Meridor
added: "Even if both parties fail to reach agreement on all core issues "the
negotiations must not be allowed to collapse."

Erekat reiterated the PA's stand on its preparedness to resume negotiations
if Israel freezes settlement construction in the West Bank and agrees to
resume the negotiations from the point where they left off with the former
Israeli government toward the end of 2008. The argument got heated between
Erekat and Meridor and they exchanged accusations of racism. Erekat told
Meridor that Israel acts with unprecedented racism in the West Bank and
Meridor responded by saying that the Palestinian party's rejection of Jewish
settlement in the West Bank is racist.

I think this threat is empty for several reasons.

First if their is no PA their is no funds coming from the world to the PA for the PA officials to steal.

Secondly, what are the leaders going to do go back to being? Terrorist like they were before they became the good guys rather than the bad guys in Hamas.

Let the truth be told Hamas is a terror group but so is Fatah AKA the PA.

Can you go from the cocktail circuit of the world diplomats to being on the run again as a terrorist, I don't think so life has been too soft for too long for the PA "good guys" to go back to the terrorist role.

June 28, 2010

Bibi's Second Chance

Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal said Monday that the demands in order to release kidnapped soldier Gilad Schalit will only grow.

"Gilad will not be the only one," Mashaal said at a Palestinian students' conference in Damascus, "We will kidnap more soldiers, including officers. We will not free Schalit until Netanyahu gives in to our just demands."

Mashall spoke as Schalit's parents continued their "Freedom March," from their home in Mitzpe Hila to Jerusalem, meant to pressure the government to meet Hamas’s demands for their son’s release.

Mashaal said "Israel is responsible for the failure in negotiations," and relayed a message to the German mediator: "If you come to the negotiations table again with Netanyahu's demands - don't come, stay where you are."

He said to Netanyahu: "We will not repeat our requests over and over. You know the list, and we will not change it."

The Hamas leader added: "We will not be flexible in our demands. As time goes by, our demands will grow, and so will the price. Israel is America's lackey, that wants to strengthen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud
Abbas], and therefore is the real one to blame for the failure in negotiations."

Mashaal also connected the captive soldier to the Gaza flotilla incidents. "Breaking the blockade on Gaza is at the top of our priorities, and we need to force it in any way, including new flotillas."

"Israel knows the damage its image has faced after the massacre on the freedom flotilla," Mashaal explained, "and she is trying to gain international sympathy through Schalit. Leaders in the region should know that the angry world will not accept the fact that they continue to be Israel's allies. The countdown to Israel's demise has begun."

Also Monday, Mahmoud Zahar, a major Hamas figure in Gaza, warned that Israel should expect more flotillas over the next two months, in an interview with British paper The Independent. Zahar was quoted as saying "after the Mondial [World Cup] at least eight ships will come from the Gulf," but did not specify which states.

In connection to Schalit, Zahar said: "up to this moment, the Israeli intention is not to have an agreement."

Mashaal also commented on the recent riots in Silwan, saying that "Jerusalem is in danger of being neglected by Palestinian and Arab officials. We praise the residents of Silwan that confronted the enemy, and we bless the Jerusalemite families that defended their national symbols."

So let me get this straight, this low life scum, makes threats against Israel and our citizens.

Bibi very few men are given a second chance to right a wrong that they committed. Here is your chance order the agencies that would carry out the killing of this scum to get on with the job. The first time you were PM you tried to kill this scum, have the courage to order his death now.

At the same time tell Hamas you have 24 hours to return Gilad Shallit to Israel alive and well.

If Gilad is not returned in this time period, Israel will shut off Gaza 100%.

No aid, no electricity, no telephone, no internet, no gas, no people in or out. No UN people in or out.

NOTHING IN OR OUT!

We will also serve notice that if the 24 hour time period passes then hunting license will be issued for every high ranking Hamas member and their families. Any family member over the age of 18 will be fair game.

Enough of begging for Gilad, let Israel return to the Israel of old, when we fought to prove we were not deluding ourselves when we say "Never Again".

June 27, 2010

Silwan: 6 security personnel injured

By JPOST.COM STAFF
27/06/2010
Israeli forces and Palestinians clash in east Jerusalem neighborhood.

Over 200 Palestinian protesters clashed with Border Police officers Sunday evening near a Jewish area in the eat Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan.

Protesters against the decision to destroy 22 homes hurled stones at police officers and Motolov cocktails at a Jewish home.

Israeli security guards that were positioned in the area began to shot in the air in efforts to control the angry mob but they failed.

Border Security Police forces that were called to the east Jerusalem neighborhood were also stoned. The forces began to spray tear gas to disperse the crowds.

Six Border Police officers were wounded when hit by stones, and Palestinian witnesses said a number of the women on their side suffered from tear gas inhalation after the Israeli forces began firing into homes.

Protests in the area have been common since the announcement last week of preliminary approval for an east Jerusalem redevelopment plan that involves 22 house demolitions in the city’s Silwan neighborhood.

The plan, which passed an initial hearing in the municipality’s Local Planning and Construction Committee, focuses on the El- Bustan, or Gan Hamelech (King’s Garden), section of the neighborhood, where 88 homes that were built without proper permits and are considered illegal by the city will be divided into two groups and either retroactively legalized, or demolished to make way for the restoration of parkland – for which the entire area was originally zoned.

Jewish-Arab Village Torn over Flotilla

The naval operation against the Gaza flotilla has soured relations between
Jews and Arabs inside the community of Neveh Shalom, which was created to be
a model of coexistence between the two nationalities.

According to daily newspaper Maariv, the rift began when the village's
council - most of whose members are Arabs - put up a sign in Hebrew, English
and Arabic at the entrance to Neveh Shalom: "The residents of Wahat
el-Salaam / Neveh Shalom protest the murder of the activists on the 'Freedom
Flotilla' and demand an end to the siege of Gaza."

When Jewish residents saw the sign, they immediately contacted the Council
Head Ias Shabita and asked that it be removed, or its content amended.
Shabita refused to remove the sign but consented to change one word, and on
the next day, the word "murder" was changed to "killing."

"We told him we don't agree to it," Jewish resident Eli Shachar related. "We
protested the matter in a conversation and announced that we would act in
any way possible against these expressions. Under no circumstances do we
agree that IDF soldiers will be called murderers."

A stormy argument ensued, after which the council decided to bring back the
original sign, with the word "murder." In response, the Jewish residents
decided to put up their own sign, which said: "We, residents of Neveh
Shalom, protest against the hanging of signs in Israel that express a
one-sided viewpoint. We protest the attack by radicals from the 'peace'
flotilla on IDF soldiers and demand the immediate release of Gilad Shalit."

The council's response was swift: The Jewish residents' sign was vandalized.
"They threatened that they would kick us out of the community because of
this," Shachar said.

Neveh Shalom - "Oasis of Peace" - is located west of Jerusalem, near Beit
Horon, and is home to about 50 families. It was established in 1969 by a
Dominican priest, Bruno Hussar, who was born to a Jewish family in Egypt. In
his autobiography, Hussar described the vision for the community: "People
would come here from all over the country to meet those from whom they were
estranged, wanting to break down the barriers of fear, mistrust, ignorance,
misunderstanding, preconceived ideas - all things that separate us - and to
build bridges of trust, respect, mutual understanding, and, if possible,
friendship. This aim would be achieved with the help of courses, seminars,
group psychology techniques, shared physical work and recreational
evenings."

June 25, 2010

MERF Appearance

For those who would like to hear me on the radio, I am very pleased to announce that I will be having a weekly appearance on the Middle East Radio Forum, the show is hosted By William Wolf.

The time of the show is 3pm EDT, 12 noon Pacific, 10pm Israel, every Sunday. Please feel free to call in if you have any questions about my weekly comments. If you should happen to miss the show then you can go to the MERF web page and listen to me and other guest in the archives.

Not Serious About Survival

Women prepare for Gaza sail: We won't fight Israel

One of hundreds of female volunteers planning to sail to Hamas-ruled territory with diapers, milk, medical supplies and clothes says, 'Our only weapons are faith in the Virgin Mary and in humanity'
Ynet

"Be sure we will never give Israel such a gift as to fight them or to have Hezbollah with us or to have any political party with us,' the spokeswoman for the organizers of an aid flotilla from Lebanon to Gaza told The Times in an interview published Friday.

"We have diapers, a lot of diapers, we have milk, we have treatments for cancer in children and medical supplies and clothes. If they fight we will not defend ourselves,” Semir El-Hajj said.

he hundreds of female volunteers planning to set sail to the Hamas-ruled territory aboard the ship "Mariam" deny allegations that the flotilla organizers are connected to Hezbollah, the Lebanese terror group linked to Iran.

“Our only weapons are faith in the Virgin Mary and in humanity,” said Rima Farah, one of the activists.

The organizers told The Times that the women “all represent themselves”, are without political affiliations and include adherents to all the world’s big religions, including Judaism.

It remains unclear when the convoy will depart. Egyptian newspaper Al-Shorouk quoted a member of the International Movement Against Globalization and the American-Zionist Hegemony as saying that the "Freedom Flotilla 2" will consist of five ships from France, six from Germany and one from Lebanon.

According to movement, which is based in Egypt, the vessels are expected to begin the journey to Gaza on July 15 under the banner "The Shahid Mohammad al-Dura," referring to the 12-year-old Palestinian boy who was killed during a furious exchange of fire between Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists in Gaza in 2000.

The movement's representative added that activists from several countries, including Egypt, Ireland, Alegrira and some Gulf states will take part in the sail.

He said Israeli Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi (National Democratic Assembly), and Raed Salah, the leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, have already confirmed their participation.

The two Arab Israelis took part in the first sail to Gaza, during which Israeli commandos raided a Turkish ship, leaving nine people dead.

The movement's representative said former South African President Nelson Mandela (92) will announce whether he will be taking part in the flotilla in the coming days.

How is that two Israeli Arabs that took part in the flotilla last month are not in jail and are free to try it again?

These two men are traitors in a time of war and should be jailed given a fair trial and then hung.

Can we show our enemies that we are any less serious about Israels survival?

June 24, 2010

CST Rule

IDF will boost trucks to Gaza by 200%
By TOVAH LAZAROFF
25/06/2010
UN official praises new policy; activists urge full Karni opening.

The IDF plans to increase the number of truckloads into Gaza by over 200 percent; a move which will bring it close to pre-blockade levels, according to the Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories.

Israeli and Palestinian activists have warned that evaluating Israel’s closure policy simply by counting the number of truckloads is misleading. What is significant is the type of goods and their route of passage; an issue, which makes the difference between a meaningful and meaningless increase, they have said.

But the IDF’s slate of new gestures, which comes in the wake of Sunday’s Security Cabinet decision to ease the Gaza blockade, won Israel rare praise from the United Nations on Thursday.

Maxwell Gaylard, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Jerusalem told The Jerusalem Post, “Israel has issued a policy change, the extent of which will not be known for a few weeks. But it looks as if it will be significant.”

A COGAT spokesman said that at issue are two crossings for goods into Gaza – Kerem Shalom and Karni.

Before Israel closed the passages in 2007 after the Hamas coup, Karni, which has been called the ”economic life-line of Gaza,” served as the main crossing point for goods and raw industrial material. It was designed to handle a mass flow of goods.

Since the closure, however, only grain, animal feed and gravel have passed through the crossing.

All other goods have gone through Kerem Shalom, which was originally designated as a minor crossing point. Since the summer of 2007 it has been the major one.

Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement said that prior to the closure some 10,400 truckloads a month – 500 a day – entered Gaza; primarily through Karni. COGAT said it was more on the order of 8,000 a month or 400 a day.

Both COGAT and Gisha estimate that some 2,500 truckloads a month entered Gaza in the last year of the closure, which is between 20 to 25 percent of the pre-blockade level of goods. This meant that about 100 truckloads or less went into Gaza from Kerem Shalom per day. Immediately after the cabinet decision capacity for the crossing was increased to 130. Within a matter of weeks, said COGAT, that number will increase to 250.

Under the blockade, Karni was open only one or two days a week, but placed on a daily model, 25 trucks went in each day. Within a number of weeks that number will increase to 130 a day, according to the COGAT spokesman.

He said commercial goods would continue to go through Kerem Shalom and that for security reasons Karni’s elevated capacity would be limited to the three types of goods which enter now; grain, animal feed and gravel. Overall, he said, 380 truckloads a day would enter Gaza under the new plan. It’s more than a 200% increase from the 125 a day which had entered before Sunday’s cabinet decision.

It was unclear, he said, what what if any kind of raw industrial material would be allowed into Gaza. He added that cement would only be permitted for construction projects under the auspices of an international organization or institution such as the UN.

The spokesman said that all the crossings are being evaluated. Outside of Kerem Shalom and Karni, these including the minor goods crossing at Sufa and the fuel depot at Nahal Oz, both of which are closed, and the Erez Crossing, which has been open for limited pedestrian traffic.

Gisha Executive-Director Sari Bashi said that unless Karni was fully reopened, or a suitable alternative was created, it would be impossible to revitalize Gaza’s economy.

Karni is a cheaper option and Kerem Shalom cannot handle the flow of goods necessary for Gaza’s factories to function.

The numbers of truckloads are also misleading because they include fuel, which used to go through Nahal Oz, or were never part of the quantity calculations done at either crossings before the closures, said Bashi.

In addition, she noted, no provision was made for exports.

The number of truckloads is still much lower than what is needed, she added.

A spokeswoman for the Palestine Trade Center in Ramallah said the issue was not how many trucks but rather what was on them. There are enough consumer goods in Gaza; what is needed are materials so that factories can reopen, she said.

Gaylard said he believed that the IDF plan was an initial step toward a system of improvements.

”The UN has made it clear that Israel’s security concerns are important, but we think the blockade should be lifted,” he said and added that he believed Israel was in the process of doing that.

Gaylard added that he believed the policy would be fully clarified in the coming weeks.

Still, he said, it would take time before all the goods Gaza needed for a fully functional economy would be able to enter the area.

WOW!

I must have missed the news, Hamas has released Gilad Schalit on the fourth anniversary of his capture.

No Gilad is still a hostage in Gaza.

So Hamas has laid down their weapons and are begging Israel to forgive their past acts of terrorism and please let's live together in peace and build a better future for our children.

No Hamas still wants us all dead.

So why is the Israeli government doing this oh yeah because they are COWARDS, SCUM AND TRAITORS.

Insanity Or Greed

Austria should pressure Hamas to change its policy, rather than Israel, President Shimon Peres told his counterpart from Vienna on Thursday at Beit Hanassi.

"We left Gaza voluntarily and I do not understand the flotillas. In order to change the situation in Gaza, there is no need for flotillas or activists but a change in Hamas's terrorism policy," Peres told Austrian Chancellor Werner Faymann.

The president went on to tell Faymann that the flotillas aiming to break the blockade on the Gaza Strip had changed in their nature: "Terrorist organizations – Hizbullah, Hamas and the Iranians – have taken over the flotillas and are not interested in peace, they are looking for provocations and conflict."

Nonetheless, the president thanked Austria for its support of newly imposed sanctions on Iran.

In response, Faymann said that Austria would like to assist in advancing the peace process and that he believes that "strengthening Gaza and its economy would prevent the Palestinians living in Gaza from turning to support the extremist organizations and would lead to a significant increase in support for peace negotiations with Israel."

But will Peres change his tune on the so called peace process?

No of course not.

If he were to change his tune then their would be no need for the Peres Center for Peace which was incorporated in the Cayman Islands. Why the Cayman's, so he would never have to report where the money went .

What is the old saying "follow the money".

The money flows and Israel is weakened through the peace process, but Israel's leaders keep pushing a peace that doesn't work.

Einstein said" Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. "

But maybe we are just looking at it all wrong, peace is not the goal for our leaders know it is impossible to obtain with our enemies. So maybe our leaders have sold their souls to profit from the "peace process"

I will close with an other quote from Einstein, "A question that sometimes drives me hazy: am I or are the others crazy?"

June 23, 2010

Gaza flotilla organizer: We'll sue Israel at ICJ

Audrey Bomse of Free Gaza movement says members collecting evidence, testimonies from passengers stopped by Israel on their way to Strip in order to make Jewish state 'pay the price for its crimes'. Civilians to file similar claim in Greek court
Aviel Magnezi

Organizers of a flotilla which attempted to reach the Gaza Strip in late May are planning to file a lawsuit with the International Court of Justice in The Hague against the State of Israel and the officials responsible for the raid of the ships.

In addition, dozens of Greek civilians are planning to file another lawsuit against Israeli officials over the same affair at a local court in their country.

Audrey Bomse, legal officer for the Free Gaza movement, told Ynet that the organizations behind the flotilla are working on a lawsuit against Israel with the help of 12 lawyers from countries whose citizens took part in the sail.

The lawyers are collecting evidence and testimonies from the passengers who were onboard the ships making their way to the Strip, and have even approached representatives of different countries – including the United States and Britain – and demanded that they pressure Israel to return the seized vessels. A personal appeal was made to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

According to Bomse, the organization members will also demand that Israel return other items confiscated from the passengers, including cellular phones and computers, which they said included "evidence of the Israeli crimes".

She said that the claim would be filed for the killing of civilians, inhumane treatment, injuries and damage caused to people and property, illegal deportation of the passengers, taking people hostage and robbery. She noted that the Israel Defense Forces soldiers used the activists' credit cards.

'Israel violated Greek law'

Meanwhile, more than 30 Greek citizens who took part in the Gaza flotilla are planning to file a lawsuit with the Public Prosecutor's Office in Athens against the Israeli defense minister, chief of staff and other senior officials who they say violated the local criminal law and international law by raiding the vessels.

One of the plaintiffs, Professor Vangelis Pissias, explained that the passengers planned to sue Israel for the security forces' violent takeover of the ships, for the "violent" arrests and for the property taken from the activists.

"We are not rich," Pissias told Ynet. "Israel returned our bags without the property which they contained. They sent me an empty bag without my computer. I don't know where it is, it might have gotten lost on the way – but someone has to pay for it. It's clear that we have to sue those responsible in Israel. It will serve as a message to this country that international law must be honored and that they cannot act that way."

He said he and his friends planned to continue their struggle until Israel changed its policy.

"We hope that the siege will be lifted. We don’t want to spend our tile on flotillas, but the rights of Gaza's residents are being violated and we have a responsibility, as civilians, to work to change Israel's attitude. If we have the power we can operate in other places in the world as well. We are only fulfilling our duty."
Israel must sell every ship confiscated and use the funds to fight a covert war against these terrorist.

But will Bibi do that of course not, he has let more goods into Gaza to try to deflect the scorn of the world.

The only way Israel will win the support of the world will be totally open Gaza and let it become an Iranian port of call.

When faced with the choice of the world hating us or the survival of Israel, give me survival.

June 22, 2010

Iran to Send Aid Cargo to Gaza Next Week

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran will send a convoy of humanitarian aids to the besieged
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip next week.

Iran's Red Crescent Society plans to send a ship carrying Iran's aids to the
Gaza Strip, spokesman of the ship said on Tuesday, adding that the convoy is
scheduled to leave the country's southern port city of Bandar Abbas next
week.

"The Iranian Red Crescent Society's aid ship, dubbed as 'Gaza Children Ship'
and carrying 1,100 tons of medicine and foodstuff, will leave the port of
Bandar Abbas and the pier of Bahonar next week," Abdulrauf Adibzadeh said.

"Five RC personnel and five reporters will also leave for Gaza on the ship,"
the spokesman stated, adding that Iran will officially issue the names and
photos of the crews and passengers.

In addition to 50 tons of medications, the ship will carry basic commodities
and supplies needed by the besieged people, including blankets, cooking oil,
canned food, detergents, flour, soap, sugar, water, children clothes, toys
and balloons.

Adibzadeh further said that the ship will have a 14-day voyage and all the
necessity permissions have already been Okayed.

He noted that the cargo will respect all the international laws and
regulations and will have no military support.

Iran's move will come nearly a month after the Israeli forces raided an
international convoy of aids which was bound for Gaza in international
waters and killed several human rights activists. The six-ship flotilla
attempted to breach Israel's three-year-old blockade of Gaza which has
claimed thousands of lives in the Palestinian enclave thus far.

The latest satellite, Ofek 9, will be the sixth one to be deployed simultaneously.

"When we wish to examine targets, we need our own satellites to do the job," a senior defense official said. "The new satellite will enable us to perform frequent activity at higher resolution."

The satellite was launched from the Palmachim Air Force base in central Israel, in line with a pre-determined plan unrelated to recent developments, officials said.

A security source said that the launch of Ofek 9 further boosts Israel's intelligence capabilities, as the Jewish State now has several satellites deployed in space, thereby considerably improving the results of its efforts.

Previous Israeli satellites were launched in January 2008, in June 2007, and in May 2002. In September 2004, the launched of Ofek 6 failed.

June 21, 2010

Next Will Be Children

Another blockade-busting ship with activists and aid on board could be bound for Gaza within a few days after Lebanese authorities granted permission Monday for it to sail first to Cyprus.

"We have been granted permission to go to Cyprus and we are now in the process of making final preparations," said Yasser Kashlak, a Syrian of Palestinian origin who heads the group organizing the trip— the Free Palestine Movement. Organizers said the ship plans to sail in the next few days, but did not give an exact date for departure because of security concerns.

Lebanon has given permission for another flotilla to leave Tripoli for Gaza, according to a Beirut minister quoted by an-Nahar Monday morning.

Lebanese Transport Minister Ghazi Aridi said the ship named Julia is now docked at the northern Lebanese port of Tripoli and can set sail once it is cleared by port authorities there. He said the ship would be allowed to sail to Cyprus and not directly to Gaza in order to abide by UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which calls for a full cessation of hostilities by both Lebanon and Israel and forbids any paramilitary activity south of the Litani River.

Aridi said the voyage of the ship, the French-registered Julia, would not violate the terms of the cease-fire resolution. To clear the confusion over the latest Gaza flotilla initiative, Aridi added that while the ship was named Julia, the voyage itself was named Mariam.

He stressed that Lebanon’s government would take full responsibility over the ship’s course, its cargo and the female activists – both foreign and Lebanese – on board.

Israeli UN ambassador Gabriela Shalev warned Friday that the attempt by the organizers to sail from Lebanon and deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza could escalate tensions and affect peace and security in the region. She cited in particular the ships' departure from Lebanon which "remains in a state of hostility with Israel." She also cited "a possible link" between the organizers and the Shiite Muslim Hizbullah group.

Netanyahu: Easing of blockade will make things easier for civilians

Israel last week eased its ban on all but humanitarian goods for Gaza and said Sunday it will now allow in everything except weapons or other items deemed to have a military use.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told parliament's foreign affairs and defense committee Monday that the easing of the blockade will make things easier for civilians while tightening the blockade on weapons.

The Israeli military said it was ready to increase the transfer of food and household items to Gaza by 30 percent, so that up to 140 trucks filled with goods would be able to pass into Gaza daily. It said it plans to meet with international agencies in the next few days to discuss advancing other projects like the construction of schools, hospitals and infrastructure works.

On Saturday, Lebanese voyage leader Samar Alhaj told an Arabic-language Nazareth radio station that the women on board the Julia were “the new secret weapon” in use against Israel, which she termed the “thieving enemy."

What will be next children on board a ship filled with weapons?

Israel must understand that our enemies are going to keep sailing these ships to try and break the blockage of Gaza.

Then the weapons will flow into Gza and then be fired out of Gaza at Israeli citizens.

US warns citizens of Gaza travel

By HILARY LEILA KRIEGER
21/06/2010
US urges Americans not to infiltrate Gaza, be cautious in Jerusalem.

WASHINGTON – The US State Department is cautioning American citizens not to participate in future attempts to infiltrate Gaza by sea as part of a new travel warning released late Sunday night.

“US citizens are advised against traveling to Gaza by any means, including via sea. Previous attempts to enter Gaza by sea have been stopped by Israeli naval vessels and resulted in the injury, death, arrest and deportation of US citizens,” the warning states.

June 20, 2010

Iran to Send Tolou Satellite into Orbit Soon

TEHRAN (FNA)- Iran announced on Sunday that it plans to launch another
home-made satellite called Tolou (rise) into space in the near future.

"The Tolou satellite which enjoys higher capacities has been built in Iran
and its launch technology has also been developed by Iranian experts. This
satellite will be sent into space soon," Iranian Vice-President for
Parliamentary Affairs Seyed Reza Mir-Tajeddini said.

Referring to Iran's achievements in aerospace technologies, Mir-Tajeddini
reminded that a few years ago Iran built a telecommunication satellite and
tasked other countries with its launch.

But when they betrayed Iran and refrained from launching the satellite
according to their contract, Tehran decided to launch the homemade
satellites by its own, he added.

Tolou enjoys modern technologies, including imaging equipments, mechanism
status controlling systems as well as solar cells.

Iranian officials had announced earlier that they plan to launch Tolou by a
newly-developed satellite carrier called Simorgh (Phoenix).

Omid (hope) was Iran's first research satellite that was designed for
gathering information and testing equipment. After orbiting for three
months, Omid successfully completed its mission without any problems. It
completed more than 700 orbits over seven weeks and reentered the earth's
atmosphere on April 25.

After launching Omid, Tehran unveiled three new satellites called Tolou,
Mesbah II and Navid, respectively. Iran has also unveiled its latest
achievements in designing and producing satellite carriers very recently.

Iran is one of the 24 founding members of the United Nations' Committee on
the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS), which was set up in 1959.

June 18, 2010

MERF Appearance

For those who would like to hear me on the radio, I am very pleased to announce that I will be having a weekly appearance on the Middle East Radio Forum, the show is hosted By William Wolf.

The time of the show is 3pm EDT, 12 noon Pacific, 10pm Israel, every Sunday. Please feel free to call in if you have any questions about my weekly comments. If you should happen to miss the show then you can go to the MERF web page and listen to me and other guest in the archives.

Report: Egypt refuses to stop Iranian ships

Egypt rejected Israel's request not to assist the Iranian ships slated to sail to the Gaza Strip in the coming days, Kuwaiti paper al-Dar reported on Friday. The report was not confirmed by any official Egyptian elements.

Facts regarding the Iranian flotilla to Gaza are vague and shrouded in mystery. As of yet, it is unclear whether the ships have already set sail, and the number of people on deck is unknown.

At the start of the week Iranian state radio reported that the first ship has already set sail and that another ship was slated to leave this weekend.

According to the Iranian Red Crescent, the ships are carrying humanitarian aid including gifts for the children of Gaza, baby cloths, toys and dolls.

The Kuwaiti report, which cites Egyptian sources, said the officers of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Ehud Barak appealed to Egyptian Intelligence chief Omar Suleiman and asked he prevent the passage of Iranian ships through the Suez Canal.

The Israeli sources argued in their request that Iran supports the Hamas organization, which is a terror group that also operates against the Egyptian authorities.

According to the paper's sources, the Egyptians rejected the Israeli request, and stressed in their response that, due to the international agreements on movement through the Suez Canal, Egypt cannot prevent any ship from sailing through it, unless it is a ship belonging to a state that is at war with Egypt, which is not the case with Iran.

June 17, 2010

Assad: War likely after flotilla raid

Syrian President Bashar Assad said Israel's attack on the Gaza aid flotilla has increased the chances of war in the Middle East, in a BBC interview on Wednesday.

Assad said that Syria was working to prevent a regional war but he added that there was no chance of a peace deal with the current Israeli administration, which he called a "pyromaniac government".

According to the Syrian president last month's Israeli commando assault on the Free Gaza flotilla in international waters had serious consequences. He noted that the attack on ships attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip killed nine Turkish activists.

Israel recently set up an inquiry into the raid after rejecting a UN proposal for an international investigation.

"[The raid has] destroyed any chance for peace in the near future," Assad told the BBC. "Mainly because it proved that this government is another pyromaniac government, and you cannot achieve peace with such [a] government."

Assad denied that he was sending weapons to Hizbullah in Lebanon, said he was happy to do business with the United States, but insisted that Iran would remain an ally.

June 16, 2010

Turkish group IHH says next flotilla to sail late-July

After its last flotilla was intercepted off Gaza coast by Israeli commandos, pro-Palestinian group says at least six ships will try to break Israel blockade again. British member of European Parliament: Tragedy may cause international community to insist on full humanitarian access to Gaza

Reuters
Published: 06.16.10, 17:33 / Israel News

A Turkish pro-Palestinian group said on Wednesday it will send another aid flotilla to Gaza next month, again trying to break an Israeli blockade after its last convoy was the target of a deadly Israeli raid in May.

The Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Aid (IHH) told members of the European Parliament it had assembled six ships for the next flotilla and put out an appeal for others to join.

Second Iranian ship to set sail this weekend

Tehran's preparations for sending an aid convoy to Gaza are at their peak, and two organizations plan to send ships to the Strip. One of the ships seems to have already set sail, and the other is slated to leave this Saturday. They are expected to arrive at Gaza's shores via the Red Sea.

"The ship will depart for Gaza in a special ceremony that will be attended by thousands of people at the start of next week," a statement on the Iranian Red Crescent's website said on Wednesday.

The Iranian work week begins on Saturday, but the statement did not specify which day the ship will leave. The organization said earlier this week that it is still waiting for a green light from the Iranian Foreign Ministry before setting sail.

According to the statement, the ship is to leave from the Bandar-Abbas Port in southern Iran and travel directly to the Gaza Strip. The first ship will be carrying humanitarian aid for the residents of the Strip, as well as a small team of doctors and aid workers. Alongside the humanitarian aid, gifts will be sent to the children in Gaza, including baby cloths, toys and dolls.

June 15, 2010

Tons of humanitarian aid to be sent to Gaza within days
News Code: 1178594 GMT: 6/15/2010 8:33:35 AM
www.irna.ir/En/View/FullStory/?NewsId=1178594&IdLanguage=3

Tehran, June 15, IRNA - An official with Iran's Red Crescent Society said
Tuesday that four tons of humanitarian aid would be sent to Gaza within
coming days, it was reported Tuesday.

Head of the IRCS' relief organization Mahmoud Mozafar told IRNA that the aid
including foodstuffs, clothing and medicines would be sent to the besieged
area by Iran's first ship which is to leave the country's southern port of
Khorramshahr in Khuzestan province in coming days.

Iran had previously announced that it was to ship its first humanitarian aid
to the Gaza Strip by an Iranian ship which would be called "the Convoy to
Gaza."

The second cargo would also be sent to Gaza from north of Iran via the
country's border with Turkey and then will be shipped to Gaza through
Istanbul.

According to Mozafar, the first ship would carry humanitarian aid while the
second ship would take an Iranian medical team to the besieged area.

Over 100,000 Iranians have, so far, been volunteered to be dispatched to the
Gaza Strip to help the oppressed Gazans in the region which is locked by the
Zionist regime since three years ago.

"The IRCS is waiting for Foreign Ministry's permission to send the first
ship to Gaza," Mozafar added.

"Lifting the naval blockade on Gaza would constitute a very dangerous
development for Israel," Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin said Tuesday.

Speaking before the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, Diskin
said terror organizations in the Gaza Strip "continue to arm themselves,
both through production and smuggling."

He noted that Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the Strip have some 5,000 rockets
with a range of up to 40 km. Most of the rockets were produced in the Strip,
but dozens of projectiles were smuggled into Gaza as well, said Diskin,
adding that the terror groups also have a few rockets which are "capable of
reaching Gush Dan."

"Even if vessels headed for Gaza will be inspected by foreign security
personnel, this (lifting blockade) will be a major security breach," said
the Shin Bet chief.

"First of all, there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Secondly, I have no
problem with easing the restrictions on the shipment of goods from Israel to
Gaza. The smuggling that endangers Israel is taking place through tunnels in
Sinai," he told the MKs.

"Lifting the naval blockade would constitute a very dangerous development. A
port in Gaza would be a major security breach, despite the option of
inspecting vessels prior to their arrival."

"Sinai attracts al-Qaeda (terrorists) who come from Iraq through Jordan.
Terror abettors from Gaza also make their way (to Sinai), as do people who
are aiding Hezbollah. The Sinai Peninsula is a vast area, and it is very
difficult to control who enters it," he added.

Diskin also addressed the decrease in suicide bombing attempts over the past
6-7 years, saying "Hamas and Islamic Jihad led the suicide bombers'
activity. Jihad has been all but eradicated in the West Bank as far as
infrastructure is concerned. As for Hamas, it will try to launch suicide
attacks if given the opportunity to do so - but it will do it through other
organizations. It (Hamas) has not abandoned suicide bombings (as a means to
attack Israel)."

Earlier this week Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered Transportation
Minister Yisrael Katz to form a plan outlining the transfer of goods to the
Gaza Strip, in accordance with a new policy being devised by the government.

Katz's office said Sunday the new orders would apply to all of Gaza's border
crossings, including air, water, and land. The plan will also be coordinated
with security officials and the Egyptian government.

Israel currently allows the entrance of 100 trucks of supplies into the
Strip on a daily basis. However some of the crossings, including Erez and
Karni, have been closed and the state will now consider their reopening.

June 14, 2010

This was not a humanitarian voyage

Theodore Dalrymple

From Monday's Globe and Mail

By chance arriving in Turkey the day after the Israelis intercepted the flotilla bound for Gaza, I was able to read the Turkish English-language press reaction. A rather obvious consideration escaped all the writers: That is, that it does not take more than 600 people to deliver humanitarian aid to isolated enclaves.

I was once on a humanitarian voyage to deliver all the sustenance for the city of Monrovia, Liberia, cut off from the rest of the world as it was by Charles Taylor’s insurrection. I was not on a boat from the Ivory Coast to express my solidarity with the people of Monrovia; I was going there to write a book. The ship’s captain was not a humanitarian, either; he was paid a huge fee by the international “community” for delivering goods in very dangerous circumstances.

Apart from the small crew, the only other people on board were a French adventurer, who hoped to get a contract to train a Liberian militia, and an ex-U.S. marine called Rambo, who spent his days on the lookout for an eagerly anticipated attack by pirates so he could make use of his training. It never happened.

We arrived at Monrovia and the boat was unloaded. No peace activists were necessary to do so. Indeed, 600 of them would have imposed a considerable burden on the fragile resources of the city. The 600 or so aboard the flotilla, then, were not humanitarians, any more than was I: They were propagandist adventurers.

On June 2, Today’s Zaman, the English-language version of a Turkish newspaper, carried a photograph of a woman, Nilufer Cetin, who had travelled with the flotilla, and who had been returned to Turkey via Israel. In her arms was a one-year-old child, Kaan Turker Cetin, with a soother in his mouth, who had also been on board.

There was no commentary on the exposure of a child so young to a hazard such as his mother had deliberately exposed him to. On the contrary, the photograph was intended to illustrate the peaceful nature of the “peace activists.” The propagandists hoped that, in the event of a disturbance, the public would fall for the following false syllogism:

Children aged 1 are innocent.

Children aged 1 were on the flotilla.

Therefore the flotilla was innocent.

The ploy probably worked. But this psychological transfer of the innocence of children to the innocence of the activities on which they are deployed by their parents is horrible, partaking equally as it does of the mirror-image qualities of sentimentality and brutality.

The “peace activists” are not, of course, the only ones to enlist children in their cause. It is common practice to do so. In democratic countries, for example, politicians often parade their children on platforms, as if the freshness and innocence of the children were somehow evidence of their own freshness and innocence.

How many vile dictators have had themselves portrayed as the friends of children? We all know the pictures of Hitler receiving flowers from pretty little girls, who cannot possibly know the nature of the man they are giving them to. Indeed, the juxtaposition of child and politician is much more likely to be a sign of utter lack of scruple and of ruthlessness than it is of the reverse.

Whenever, then, I see a demonstration, even in a cause to which I might otherwise be sympathetic, in which demonstrators have children on their shoulders, I am appalled. My objection is not just at the emotional kitschiness of it, but at the lack of serious moral reflection by those who do it.

Such blindness is often found in unexpected places. In Homage to Catalonia, for example, George Orwell’s book about the Spanish Civil War, there are several references to the use of children on the Republican side. Orwell’s only comment on this is that it is counterproductive, since children make ineffective soldiers; the moral dimension escapes him altogether. (His failure to comment on it is real blindness, not a manifestation of literary asceticism to avoid moralizing. Orwell had few inhibitions about moralizing.)

Be this as it may, by no means every Turk fell for the transferred innocence from child to cause. Many understood that the whole episode was a put-up job for internal political purposes, among other things to bind the ardently secularist Turkish military to the non-secularist government. Little Kaan Turker Cetin was but a pawn in this game.

The riddle of the city's failure to implement demolition orders against
illegal Arab structures has been officially solved: The PM's Office said no.

The Director-General of the Municipality of Jerusalem explained the
situation to MK Uri Ariel of the National Union party.

Ariel had written to Director Ya'ir Maayan, asking why the illegal buildings
continue to remain standing, despite demolition orders outstanding against
them. Maayan wrote as follows:

"As you know, the municipality works towards enforcing the law throughout
the city. Demolition orders are carried out with the accompaniment of Israel
Police for the protection [of the personnel carrying out the orders]."

However, continued Maayan, "in the past month, dates for demolition were
coordinated with the police - but they were canceled at the last minute
because the Prime Minister's Office did not issue its approval."

MK Ariel said in response, "It's been a while now that I have been tracking
the non-implementation of demolition orders in Jerusalem, and I warned
several times that the delay is simply political. Now, for the first time,
an official has admitted that the one preventing the enforcement of the law
is none other than the Prime Minister himself."

According to the Israel Land Fund, headed by Jerusalem land activist Aryeh
King, there are over 700 illegal Arab structures in the eastern Jerusalem
neighborhood of Silwan (Shiloach, across from the City of David) alone.

Iranian flotilla leaving for Gaza

Two Iranian cargoes of humanitarian aid for Gaza will leave next week and one of them will be shipped through Istanbul, the official Iranian news agency, IRNA reported Monday.

The announcement quoted Mohammad Ali Nouraee, an aid official, who said one cargo will be sent to Turkey, and then shipped to Gaza from Istanbul while the other will leave from the port of Khorramshahr.

Nouraee said that the ships would sail without protective security because the Iranians “do not want to fight", however he emphasized that "we are willing to become martyred in this way.”

According to IRNA, a senior official of the the Islamic Revolutionary Guards, Deputy Commander Hossein Salami, has said that escorting the two cargo ships "was not on the guards agenda."

In addition three Iranian parliamentarians are planning to visit Gaza through Egypt, while two Iranian cargo ships with humanitarian aid for Gaza are due to leave next week Iranian news agencies reported Monday.

Lawmaker Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash was quoted as saying that he and two other members of the Majlis, the Iranian parliament, would travel to Gaza by way of Egypt later this week.

Bighash said that some 200 out of the 290 Iranian MPs had wanted to make the visit but the three-man team will go instead. He said that the
Egyptians had expressed willingness to allow the Iranians to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing.

Iranian MP Mahmoud Ahmadi-Biqash said on Sunday that the Egyptian government has agreed to issue visas to 70 Iranian parliamentarians who have registered to travel to the Gaza Strip.

The Iranian efforts to aid Gaza are inspired by the recent Gaza-bound flotilla, during which an Israeli effort to take control of the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara resulted in the death of nine Turkish activists.
Israel must not weaken even a little on the blockage of Gaza.

We are really still fighting the war of 1948, a war to determine if the Jewish State has the right to exist.

Bibi you must stand tall, firm, and proud, don't give a centimeter of compromise.

Investigation into IDF officers who supported beating of Palestinians

Military Advocate General Avichai Mandelblit on Sunday ordered a military police investigation into Colonel Itai Virob, former Kfir Brigade commander, and Lieutenant Colonel Shimon Harosh, former commander of the Shimshon regiment.

The order comes after they had testified in a military court a year ago, saying it was permissible to use moderate violence against Palestinians during questioning.

During the court hearing Virob used words such as "slaps," "kneeing" and "choking to calm things down." Harosh said that slapping is reasonable in such cases.

The two officers tried to tone down their testimonies, and when they appeared a second time they noted that what they had said had been misunderstood.

This unusual investigation is beginning only now because the trial of Lieutenant Adam Malul was underway, preventing the advocate general from ordering the probe. His position was that only after all testimony has been given in Malul's trial would it be possible to decide on a course of action against the senior officers.

The affair, exposed by Ynet, involves the trial of Malul and paramedic Sergeant A. for violence against Palestinians during operations in September 2008. The case continues to cause shockwaves in Central Command and in the IDF in general.

After Virob and Harosh appeared in court, the NGO Yesh Din requested that the military advocate general open an investigation into the two. The investigation is expected to focus on what they said in court, though it is not yet clear what they are suspected of doing.

Central Command officers said that the testimonies reveal the problematic nature of operations in the territories.

"With all due respect to protocols and the desire to maintain sterile operating procedures, we have to remember that the soldiers face Palestinians who do all they can to prevent us from fulfilling our mission," they said.

Yesh Din and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel welcomed the decision to open an investigation, but expressed regret that it had happened so late.

Just the latest battle against combat soldiers protecting Israel by left wing. How can the IDF protect Israel and save lives when they have to operate under restrictions.

June 11, 2010

MERF Appearance

For those who would like to hear me on the radio, I am very pleased to announce that I will be having a weekly appearance on the Middle East Radio Forum, the show is hosted By William Wolf.

The time of the show is 3pm EDT, 12 noon Pacific, 10pm Israel, every Sunday. Please feel free to call in if you have any questions about my weekly comments. If you should happen to miss the show then you can go to the MERF web page and listen to me and other guest in the archives.

'Witness' to Flotilla 'Murder' Admits She Did Not See the Events

U.S. Army Col. (Ret.) Ann Wright, on a speaking tour of the United States on
behalf of radical pacifist women's group Code Pink, bills herself as an
eyewitness to the IDF raid on the Mavi Marmara and the "murder" of "nine
innocent civilians." However, in an interview with Aaron Lerner of IMRA, she
admits she did not actually see the clash between the IDF soldiers and the
armed passengers on board the Mavi Marmara.

In a promotional e-mail on behalf of "Code Pink: Women for Peace," Wright
says: "I just returned from the Gaza Freedom Flotilla and started my
speaking tour last night in NYC to share what I witnessed aboard the
flotilla, and what people can do to end the siege."

"I witnessed the Israeli attack that killed 9 persons and wounded 50 on the
Gaza Flotilla... the murder of nine persons... Tragically, it took another
example of disproportionate use of force by the Israeli military that
resulted in the deaths of nine innocent civilians to force many governments
of the world to call for the Israelis to end the siege of Gaza."

In the interview with Lerner she admitted that she was not aboard the Mavi
Marmara but on a different ship, the Challenger, which was about 150 yards
distant from the Marmara.

The confrontation took place between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m., in the dark of
night (IDF footage of the raid was carried out with night vision equipment).

In the interview, Lerner asks Wright if she has seen the video that shows
the passengers preparing weapons for attacking the soldiers.

Lerner: "You haven't seen the YouTube that shows the rods that had been cut
and prepared and the piles of hatchets that were ready?"

Wright: "No, I haven't. I'm still in the process of catching up with all the
stuff that's out there."

She also claims that "the video" (apparently the same video that she said
she did not see - ed.) stops at a certain point and does not show that "the
captain of the ship and the director of the IHH came out of the wheelhouse
and told the guys that were on top 'stop beating these soldiers up.'"

Lerner: Col. Wright I just want to make sure again - so you actually were on
a different boat and did not witness the attack firsthand.

Wright: That's correct.

Lerner: So your witnessing is based on the information that you are getting
from the other folks who were there.

Wright: My witness will be specifically what happened on our ship, the
Challenger. And then I can comment on what happened in the very first three
or four minutes as the Israeli commandos were trying to board the ship. We
saw that from the stern of the ship. But after that that's when my
witnessing from my own eyes of what happened on that ship would end.

June 10, 2010

Poll: 73%:16% Continue blockade on Gaza

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 10 June 2010

Telephone poll of a representative sample of 561 adult Israeli Jews by New
Wave Research 9 June, 2010 commissioned by Yisrael Hayom and published in
the 10 June edition. Survey error +/- 4 percentage points.

Last week Israel stopped a flotilla of boats destined to break the blockade
on Gaza> Should Israel have stopped the flotilla?
Yes 92% No 5% Don't know 3%

If there is another flotilla should Israeli stop boats in the future?
Yes 91% No 5% Don't know 4%

Should the blockade on Gaza be lifted?

No 73% Yes 16% Don't know 11%

Have recent events turned Turkey into an enemy state?

Yes 78% No 22%

In the wake of the activity again the flotilla the question has come up as
to how to investigate the incident. Of the following which do you prefer?

June 09, 2010

8 cops, 38 settlers hurt in Beit El clashes

In one of the most violent incidents since the start of the moratorium on new Jewish construction in the West Bank, eight police officers and 38 settlers were lightly hurt at the Beit El settlement Tuesday morning in clashes between the two groups.

Settlers claimed that police had attacked them with pepper spray, while police contended that they had been stoned and called “Nazis.”

“We haven’t seen an incident like this, which had so much hatred and violence directed toward us, in the Binyamin region,” said Ch.- Supt. Moti Shoshan, deputy commander of the Binyamin Police station, who led the police forces during the clashes, in which nine settlers were arrested.

“One youth called me a ‘Nazi,’” Shoshan told The Jerusalem Post after the incident.

His forces had gone into Beit El along with members of the civil administration to destroy two shacks that had been been built in violation of the 10-month moratorium on new construction. Students in the nearby high school raced out of class to prevent the demolition. Four settlers were arrested for assaulting and disrupting the officers.

Scores of teens tried to stop the security vehicles from leaving the settlements with the four who had been arrested.

They placed a utility pole in front of a security vehicle, and dozens sat in the road in front of one of the vehicles.

To clear the road, Border Police used pepper spray and clubs.

A spokesman for the Judea and Samaria Police said that some of the 150 teens had tried to block their path and hurled bricks, rocks and paint. A number of the youths threw a smoke grenade at officers, attempted to steal police equipment and punctured tires with spikes.

Seven spikes were seized after the youths were arrested, Shoshan said.

“When they started to throw blocks at us, I ordered my officers to move in,” he added.

“I’m not talking about paint and eggs, but about the big rocks and blocks that were hurled at us from two directions,” he went on. “Some officers were wounded in the back and other areas in the body. Luckily, none were struck on the head. These were big rocks. If an officer had been hit on the head, he would have been seriously injured.”

Shoshan said the rioters had been encouraged to confront police by Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, the settlement’s rabbi. He accused Melamed of having created a violent atmosphere

Melamed refused to comment on the incident.

Shoshan insisted that police had gone to Beit El without intending to confront anyone

“We had a number of detained youths in our custody, and we were asked by residents to let them go,” he explained

“I had no problem with letting them go, because their involvement was not major. But then Rabbi Melamed instructed his followers to make more demands, saying we must delete photographs we took. Then I realized these were just stalling tactics and that they were trying to prevent us from leaving.”

In addition to the four arrests at the start of the incident, two minors were detained on suspicion of planning to attack officers, police said. A third, female suspect was arrested for attacking an officer. Two youths who had been seen throwing rocks at police earlier were arrested outside the settlement.

Shoshan said the clash was “one of the most severe incidents that we have seen since the ban on new settlement construction went into effect” on November 26.

But some eyewitnesses said it had been the police who acted violently, particularly by using pepper spray at close range.

One woman called it a “pogrom.” Eyewitnesses also noted that security forces had come at a time when yeshiva students could be easily rallied to oppose them.

Had the forces entered at 4 a.m., this never would have happened, said one.

To protest the incident, the Binyamin Citizens’ Committee held six separate protest rallies on Tuesday evening. One was next to the T-junction on Route 60, another was at the Shiloh junction, and a third took place next to Kochav Ya’acov.

Three other rallies were held next to the homes of civil administration employees in Jerusalem, as well as in the Ofra and Peduel settlements.

A spokesman for the Binyamin Citizens’ Committee added that as a protest gesture, work had been started on a new home in Efrat.

June 08, 2010

'We must break Gaza blockade'

The Iranian parliament is interested in sending a humanitarian mission with aid to Gaza, Iranian National Security Committee chairman Ala Al-Din Boroujerdi said Tuesday according to the Fars news agency.

"The most important thing today is to break the Gaza blockade and send the residents there humanitarian aid," Boroujerdi said.

However not everyone approves of Teheran's move to aid Gaza, as one senior Hizbullah official underlined Tuesday.

"The Iranian Revolutionary Guard ships should not escort additional Gaza-bound flotilla," the official said following Iran's Red Crescent announcement.

"The results of such an action would be negative, since the purpose of sails is not military but to influence public opinion," the senior Hizbullah official said in an interview with the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat daily.

Life Is Great

Woman who had affair with al-Aqsa Brigades commander Zubeidi, served time for aiding terrorists converts to Islam at Umm al-Fahm mosque. 'From now on she is a full-fledged Muslim,' sheikh says

Sharon Roffe-Ofir
Published: 06.08.10, 16:13 / Israel News

Israeli left-wing activist Tali Fahima, previously convicted of aiding Palestinian terrorists, told Ynet that she had converted to Islam on Monday at a mosque in Umm al-Fahm in the presence of three sheikhs.

Fahima plead guilty in December 2005 to maintaining contacts with a foreign agent with the intention of harming state security, and was sentenced to three years in prison.

She was specifically convicted of aiding Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades terrorists, including the group's leader in Jenin Zakariya Zubeidi, whom she had an affair with, and was released from prison in January 2007.

The Shin Bet security service claimed that Fahima, who resides in Wadi Ara, planned on becoming the first Jewish terrorist to act against her own people.
Part of me says she should have faced the death penalty for her crimes.

But then she converts to Islam and I smile at how good life can be at times.

The probe, meant to derive operational conclusions from the deadly events which took place aboard the Marmara – the sail's lead vessel – will be conducted by a panel of experts headed by Maj-Gen (ret.) Giora Eiland.

The move is somewhat exceptional, since the IDF is usually satisfied with internal inquests conducted by the units heading various operations.
Their are two questions only that need to be asked.

1. Who ignored the intelligence. The person or people that ignored the intelligence that was available open source need to be found out and fired.

2. Who ordered Shayetet 13 to take paint ball guns instead of their AK47's.

That is all that needs to be asked unless you want to ask , why didn't the commando's kill more than 9. They should have shot a lot more people just for the remark Jews return to Auschwitz.

Steve rest in peace buddy.

Suicide bombing claims life 7 years on
By GREG TEPPER
07/06/2010
Steve Averbach succumbs to injuries from 2003 J'lem attack.

Steve Averbach, known by his friends as Steve 'Gun,' was buried Monday afternoon after succumbing to wounds suffered in a 2003 Palestinian suicide bombing. Averbach, 44, died in his sleep on Thursday.

The morning bombing was carried out on a Line 6 accordion-stretch-bus at French Hill, in Jerusalem. The bomber was dressed as a religious Jew and donned a kippa and talit. While seven people were initially killed in the blast, friends say Averbach may have saved many passengers who survived the attack.

Phillip Kaiser, who flew in from the US with his wife Miranda to attend the funeral, said that Averbach and a police officer identified the bomber and took action.

"He was found in the bus with his weapon in his hand and told those who found him to be careful as the safety was off. They think he was responsible for the terrorist blowing himself up prematurely, that the terrorist's objective was to wait for more people and then detonate in the middle of the bus, but that because Steve stood up and took action the terrorist blew himself up earlier then planned." Averbach made aliyah by himself while in his teens and served in the Golani brigade. He later worked for he Defense Ministry and the Israel Police before became a shooting instructor at Krav in Talpiot, Jerusalem

The bombing left Averbach paralyzed from the neck down and in need of constant care. He had been in and out of the hospital over the years since the attack. He is survived by his four sons and wife, Julie.

Hamas refuses to allow aid supplies into Gaza

Goods brought by flotilla pile up in army warehouses because Hamas rejects their entrance by land
Hanan Greenberg

Despite international criticism against Israel following a calamitous IDF raid on an aid flotilla to Gaza, it appeared Monday that Hamas was the one preventing the goods brought by the flotilla from entering the Strip.

June 06, 2010

Police Arrest Wrong Person

Members of the public have been responding sharply online to MK Haneen Zoabi's (Balad) participation in the Free Gaza Flotilla and recent statements in the press castigating the actions of the IDF soldiers and the government.

A small market owner from central Israel was arrested by police for inciting an assassination of Zoabi, Channel 2 reported on Sunday.

The man allegedly posted on Facebook that he would give "free groceries for life to the person who who kills MK Haneen Zoabi."

Police opened an investigation regarding the comment and were seeking to determine whether it was made in jest or with the intent to harm the Knesset member.

The grocer's threat was not the only sign of public anger towards Zoabi's participation in the aid flotilla.

Organizers of the Facebook group set a goal of reaching 100,000 members and achieved their target in a matter of days.

Abraham Fund Initiative directors Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu and Mohammad Darawshe said that the “growing extremism in rhetoric and the nature of the threats against Arab MKs in recent days expresses a serious assault in Israel’s democratic space and distances the chances of living together in coexistence and equality.”
I think the police have arrested the wrong person.

Jewish flotilla to break Gaza siege

German Jewish group prepares flotilla to protest Israel's blockade on Gaza. 'Activists frightened, but not by Hamas,' member of organization says

Aviel Magnezi
Published: 06.06.10, 20:33 / Israel News

The German-Jewish organization Jewish Voice for Peace in the Middle East is preparing a Jewish flotilla to the Gaza Strip. "We intend to leave around July," a member of the organization, Kate Leitrer, said to Ynet. "We have one small craft so far, in which there will be between 12 and 16 people, mostly Jews."

Leitrer, herself Jewish, said there was great interest in joining. "Getting another boat means more expenses, and we're discussing this possibility," she said. "Because of limited space, there will be school equipment, candy, and mainly musical equipment, and there'll be musicians aboard who'll teach the children of Gaza. They need to see that Jews are not what how they are drawn in their eyes."
Every Jew on these boats should be killed in their attempt to run the legal blockage of Gaza.

MERF Appearance

For those who would like to hear me on the radio, I am very pleased to announce that I will be having a weekly appearance on the Middle East Radio Forum, the show is hosted By William Wolf.

The time of the show is 3pm EDT, 12 noon Pacific, 10pm Israel, every Sunday. Please feel free to call in if you have any questions about my weekly comments. If you should happen to miss the show then you can go to the MERF web page and listen to me and other guest in the archives.

Idiot

Erdogan: Hamas not terror group

Turkish prime minister slams Israel for flotilla raid: 'If you don't understand in Turkish, I will say it in English: You shall not kill'. Meanwhile diplomat warns Turkey will sever ties with Israel unless it apologizes

Ynet and AP
Published: 06.04.10, 18:56 / Israel News

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Israel Friday of murdering passengers on board the Turkish Marmara, which was sailing to Gaza as part of an aid flotilla.

"If you don't understand it in Turkish, I will say it in English: You shall not kill (sic)," he said, repeating the phrase in Hebrew.

Speaking at a ceremony in Konya, the prime minister announced that Hamas was not a terror organization. "They won an election. You always speak of democracy, but you will not let Hamas rule. What kind of democracy is that?" he asked.

"Hamas's resistance fighters were meant to defend their land. They won an election. I've told American officials before that I do not consider Hamas a terror organization, and I still don't. They are defending their land," he was quoted by Turkish media as saying.
First of all in Hebrew it is "don't murder" something the peace terrorist and Hamas fail to obey.

It is true Hamas won an election in Gaza then killed the Fatah members to solidify their hold on power.

Their is a reason the Palestinian Authority refuses to hold an election in Judea and Samaria (west bank) they are afraid Fatah would loose.

June 03, 2010

Obama On Flotilla

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama said Thursday that the deadly Israeli raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip was "tragic", but he stopped short of condemning the actions of Israeli forces.

While Obama said the deaths of nine people were unnecessary, he said the U.S. wants to wait for "an investigation of international standards" to determine the facts. Israel, he said, should agree to such an investigation.

"They recognize that this can't be good for Israel's long-term security," Obama said in an interview with CNN's Larry King airing Thursday night.
Tragic, Mr. President?

Torture

Netanyahu: No ships to reach Gaza

Prime minister tells forum of top seven government ministers he has no intention of allowing any vessels to breach Gaza naval blockade, 'now or later'; referring to Rachel Corrie ship, en route to Israel, PM says: We'll direct it to Israeli port

Roni Sofer
Published: 06.03.10, 23:44 / Israel News

Decisive message: Israel will not allow any ships to reach the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Thursday, during a special session held by the forum of top seven government ministers.

The meeting was called in the wake of the deadly raid on a Gaza-bound vessel earlier in the week and the expected arrival of another ship, the Rachel Corrie, in the coming days.

However, the prime minister is still reportedly willing to show flexibility on Israel's blockade policy.

During Thursday's session, Netanyahu said: "We shall not allow the ships to reach Gaza. Not now and not later on. We intend to direct the Rachel Corrie ship to the Ashdod Port and transfer its civilian goods to Gaza following a security check."

Officials expect no confrontation
Earlier, security officials estimated that activists aboard the Rachel Corrie will prefer to dock in Ashdod rather than to go on to Gaza. Officials believe the activists will seek to transfer their goods via land, while collaborating with Israel.

"If this is not the case, we will do everything to stop them without casualties," a security official said. "We are engaging in negotiations with whoever is out there."

Earlier Thursday, PM Netanyahu met with Quarter Envoy Tony Blair and told him he's willing to examine "creative ways" to bring aid into Gaza, after the goods are examined.

COWARDS, SCUM and TRAITORS now we can add IDIOTS.

Yes I know I am yelling. It is either yell or cry and I am not sure crying fits my image.

Security officials expect no confrontation on the next ships that are heading towards Gaza.

What are you really that dumb, they have Israel reeling in the world press. If they don't push for a violent confrontation then the "peace terrorist" are dumb.

If I was running this ship the blood would run down the sides of the ship to fuel the world press feeding freezing against Israel.

Now Bibi is looking for creative ways to bring goods into Gaza.

Hey Bibi what about the 100 semi trucks that roll into Gaza every day, what do you call those goods?

June 02, 2010

AK 47's Must Be Allowed

A pro-Palestinian activist on board the Irish vessel 'Rachel Corrie' told Ynet Wednesday that the ship is currently located between Libya and Cyprus, and that it is making its way to Gaza but will not arrive before Saturday morning.

The activist said those on board were coming "in peace", and that they would not resist IDF soldiers if they insisted coming on board. The claim was reminiscent of one made by the activists on board the flotilla that arrived Monday.

He added that before the ship had embarked it had been searched for weapons, and stressed that there were none on board.

The Irish vessel, named after a peace activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer, is reportedly carrying more than 20 people: More than ten Malaysians, five Irish, and eight crew members.

"We are not afraid, despite what happened on the Marmara," said Derrick Graham, who is on board with wife Jeanie. "The violence there was a product of fear, I saw the fear in the eyes of the soldiers. You need to send your veteran soldiers, not the young ones."
I pray the IDF let's our commando's raid this ship with their trade mark AK47's in their hands and a rule of engagement that will let them us them if need be.

Traitor

MK Zoabi: Israel wanted highest number of fatalities

Arab Knesset member who participated in Gaza aid flotilla holds press conference says, 'It was clear from size of force that boarded ship that purpose was not to stop sail, but to cause largest number of fatalities to prevent future initiatives'

Sharon Roffe-Ofir
Published: 06.01.10, 14:03 / Israel News

Knesset Member Hanin Zoabi, who was on board the Marmara ship when it was raided by Navy fighters, held a press conference in Nazareth on Tuesday, in which she accused Israel of committing crimes during its takeover of the Gaza-bound aid ship. She called for an international inquiry into the incident.

Zoabi added, "It was clear from the size of the force that boarded the ship that the purpose was not only to stop this sail, but to cause the largest possible number of fatalities in order to stop such initiatives in the future."
She is a traitor and must be put on trial for her crime.